FIT dad phil bowser is starting the London Marathon hours before anyone else - by walking to the start line!

The 51-year-old, of Binley, Coventry, plans to spend more than eight hours walking from Waterloo Bridge to the start line before turning round to run the 26-mile route.

But Phil, who has 22 marathons under his belt and was an Olympic torch bearer in 2004, is no stranger to quirky athletic feats to help others.

In 2003, he set out to do the London Marathon three times by walking, running and cycling the route - he couldn't quite manage the last cycle leg but still managed to raise £5,000 for charity.

Phil, who is doing the event for children's charity Barnardo's, said: "You have to do something different to attract attention and motivate people to give nowadays.

"It will be hard but it's something different for me and it will really help local children.

"One local pub has already handed me £100, so it would be great if local people and businesses in the area follow suit and help me raise as much as possible."

Phil, who has three children - Harry, aged three, Georgia, aged 16, and Jake, aged 19 - aims to set off from Waterloo Bridge at one minute past midnight on Sunday, April 23, and walk for 8? hours to the start line, before turning round to run the route with the 46,000 other entrants.

He knows he won't beat his personal best of three hours one minute but is hoping to finish the running leg in about 4? hours.

Phil, a training and development manager, has been preparing by pounding the streets for an hour from 6am every day.

His wife, Gill, aged 33, won't be there to support him on the big day as she is appearing in a play at the Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth.